# Are passports needed to go into Canada from the U.S.? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 25, 2003, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-passports-needed-to-go-into-canada-from-the-u-s/150798 "2003-01-25T03:11:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Anti\_Pro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Anti\_Pro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anti_Pro)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2003, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-passports-needed-to-go-into-canada-from-the-u-s/150798/1 "2003-01-25T03:11:30Z")
My son and I are planning to travel from our home here in Atlanta, Georgia to go on a driving tour up north, and ending our trip in Canada. But I’m not sure if we need passports to go over the border, and sure don’t want to be surprised if we DO need them. Any help is appreciated. Thanks, Judy ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2003, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-passports-needed-to-go-into-canada-from-the-u-s/150798/2 "2003-01-25T03:16:35Z")
Nope. No passports needed. ---
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2003, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-passports-needed-to-go-into-canada-from-the-u-s/150798/3 "2003-01-25T03:19:20Z")
You do need proof of US residence and a photo ID. ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2003, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-passports-needed-to-go-into-canada-from-the-u-s/150798/4 "2003-01-25T03:19:54Z")
Not if you’re American citizens. You DO need proof of citizenship. Birth certificates are fine. You’ll want photo ID to go with it, to show that the birth certificate is yours. If you already have a passport, it doesn’t hurt to take it, as it’s the form of ID that’s least open to questioning, but I certainly wouldn’t go to the trouble of getting one just for this. -A Canadian who’s crossed the border many, many times ---
**Author:** ![MadScientistMatt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bc8723/32.png) [@MadScientistMatt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadScientistMatt)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2003, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-passports-needed-to-go-into-canada-from-the-u-s/150798/5 "2003-01-25T03:20:21Z")
Last time I went to Canada (from Atlanta, no less!) I did not need a passport. I’ll see if I can dig up an official government web site to prove this, though. ---
**Author:** ![MadScientistMatt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bc8723/32.png) [@MadScientistMatt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadScientistMatt)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2003, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-passports-needed-to-go-into-canada-from-the-u-s/150798/6 "2003-01-25T03:27:11Z")
Ah, here’s the information, straight from the State Department: [http://travel.state.gov/foreignentryreqs.html](http://travel.state.gov/foreignentryreqs.html) It allows entering Canada with either a passport or some alternative proof that you are a United States Citizen and a photo ID. So a passport may not be a bad idea, but other forms of identification are acceptable too. ---
**Author:** ![dqa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dqa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dqa)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2003, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-passports-needed-to-go-into-canada-from-the-u-s/150798/7 "2003-01-25T03:28:34Z")
Driving into Canada, I have rarely been asked for ID (though things may be different in the past couple years). It’s the Americans that will rake you over the coals. Flying into Canada they did give me a hard time for having only a driver’s license. ---
**Author:** ![Hazel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e56c9b/32.png) [@Hazel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazel)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2003, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-passports-needed-to-go-into-canada-from-the-u-s/150798/8 "2003-01-25T03:35:21Z")
Flying from the US to Canada, what do you need? ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2003, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-passports-needed-to-go-into-canada-from-the-u-s/150798/9 "2003-01-25T03:35:58Z")
> [@](#): > > Flying into Canada they did give me a hard time for having only a driver’s license. As well they should - driver’s licenses have sfa to do with citizenship. But I too have noticed that I get grilled by the American customs officers much more than their Canadian counterparts. I was never sure if it was because I was Canadian, or if the American customs officers are just jerks. ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2003, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-passports-needed-to-go-into-canada-from-the-u-s/150798/10 "2003-01-25T03:41:29Z")
Flying’s same as driving - you need proof of citizenship and photo ID. Assuming you’re a citizen of one or the other of the countries, of course. Note: you may not be asked for identification. This doesn’t mean it isn’t required. If you forgot the relevant ID and luck out entering Canada by not having it asked for, you could get stuck at the border trying to get back into the States when the guy in the booth won’t let you through with just your driver’s license. ---
**Author:** ![Maryellen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b2d939/32.png) [@Maryellen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maryellen)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2003, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-passports-needed-to-go-into-canada-from-the-u-s/150798/11 "2003-01-25T03:49:18Z")
One of my children is going on a group trip to Canada soon. The information packet says this: **"CANADIAN BORDER:** Crossing the border from the US into Canada requires an **original birth certificate with a raised seal and picture ID or a US passport**." . ---
**Author:** ![Monopoly\_Money](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Monopoly\_Money](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monopoly_Money)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2003, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-passports-needed-to-go-into-canada-from-the-u-s/150798/12 "2003-01-25T04:03:07Z")
I’m not sure the information on the website listed earlier is still valid because it is dated May, 2002. They have really tightened up cross border security since the September 11, 2002 attack. The other thing you have to contend with is getting back _in_ to the USA with proof that you are actually from there. ---
**Author:** ![Flymaster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c4cdca/32.png) [@Flymaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flymaster)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2003, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-passports-needed-to-go-into-canada-from-the-u-s/150798/13 "2003-01-25T04:13:10Z")
Umm…Monopoly, buddy? 9/11/01. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2003, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-passports-needed-to-go-into-canada-from-the-u-s/150798/14 "2003-01-25T04:17:42Z")
Let’s put it this way; a passport is a good idea, quite frankly. If you can get one you should. But if there isn’t time, a birth certificate and photo ID should suffice. It’s a hassle to get one but a passport’s a good thing to get. ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2003, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-passports-needed-to-go-into-canada-from-the-u-s/150798/15 "2003-01-25T04:34:33Z")
I can’t say I agree. If you have no plans of going anywhere abroad besides Canada, the hassle of getting a passport is pointless. It’s not just that birth certificate + photo ID should suffice, it’s that they **do** suffice. An American citizen entering Canada from the US will never be asked for more. The only possible advantage is that the passport might be less apt to have its authenticity challenged, but I’ve never heard of the authenticity of ID being challenged at the border. I mean, I’m sure it happens, but in all my crossings, and all the crossings made by people I know, it’s never happened, and the sample size here isn’t insignificant. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2003, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-passports-needed-to-go-into-canada-from-the-u-s/150798/16 "2003-01-25T04:38:27Z")
I fly to Canada a lot. pre 9/11 you could get on the plane w/o a passport. Post 9/11 the airlines I fly (United and Air Canada) want to see a passport, period. A friend was thinking of meeting me in Canada so I asked if a passport was mandatory, and the answer was yes. I do not know if this was the airlines policy or Customs. YMMV ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2003, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-passports-needed-to-go-into-canada-from-the-u-s/150798/17 "2003-01-25T04:55:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Rick \* > I fly to Canada a lot. pre 9/11 you could get on the plane w/o a passport. Post 9/11 the airlines I fly (United and Air Canada) want to see a passport, period. A friend was thinking of meeting me in Canada so I asked if a passport was mandatory, and the answer was yes. I do not know if this was the airlines policy or Customs. > YMMV Airlines don’t make international ID policies. Governments do. > [@](#): > > Visas are not required for U.S. tourists entering Canada from the U.S. for stays up to 180 days. You will, however, need (1) proof of your U.S. citizenship such as (a) your U.S. passport or (b) original or certified copy of your birth certificate and photo identification. (For information on obtaining a U.S. passport, check with the nearest passport agency located at 13 locations throughout the U.S.) If you are a naturalized citizen and do not have a passport, you should travel with your naturalization certificate. **A driver’s license or Social Security card is not valid proof of citizenship.** > > All U.S. citizens entering Canada from a third country must have a valid passport. Alien permanent residents of the U.S. must present their Alien Registration Card, commonly called the “Green Card.” If you are a dual U.S./ Canadian citizen you should always present yourself as a Canadian citizen when entering Canada. However, U.S. citizens should use their U.S. passports when entering or leaving the United States. > > Due to international concern over child abduction, single parents, grandparents, or guardians traveling with children often need proof of custody or notarized letters from the other parent authorizing travel. (This is in addition to proof of citizenship as explained above.) Any person under the age of 18 and traveling alone should carry a letter from his/her parent or guardian authorizing the trip. Travelers without such documentation may experience delays at the port of entry. Source: [http://travel.state.gov/tips\_canada.html](http://travel.state.gov/tips_canada.html) ---
**Author:** ![dqa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dqa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dqa)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2003, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-passports-needed-to-go-into-canada-from-the-u-s/150798/18 "2003-01-25T05:42:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Gorsnak \* > \*\*But I too have noticed that I get grilled by the American customs officers much more than their Canadian counterparts. I was never sure if it was because I was Canadian, or if the American customs officers are just jerks. \*\* Probably the latter, as I’m American. There are also several pit threads along these lines by other members in the archives. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2003, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-passports-needed-to-go-into-canada-from-the-u-s/150798/19 "2003-01-25T05:48:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by riblet \* > \*\ ***"CANADIAN BORDER:** Crossing the border from the US into Canada requires an **original birth certificate with a raised seal and picture ID or a US passport**." > . \*\* Baptismal certificates (according to customs guy last time I went through and my sister had failed to bring proof of citizenship) will work too. The birth certificate/photo ID works rather well. (Voting reg used to work, but I don’t think it will anymore) ---
**Author:** ![Hazel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e56c9b/32.png) [@Hazel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazel)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2003, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-passports-needed-to-go-into-canada-from-the-u-s/150798/20 "2003-01-25T06:12:16Z")
Huh? “Raised seal”? Mine doesn’t have a raised seal. What makes the govt (or the airlines) think that all birth cirtificates have raised seals? Aren’t birth cirtificates issued by thousands of cities and towns, in a multitude of formats? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-passports-needed-to-go-into-canada-from-the-u-s/150798.md?page=2)